Location near Taki no Kuni -

Sitting on a wooden dock, one leg crossed, gazing meticulously at the horizon, was a man with dark gray eyes, black hair that hung near his cheeks framing his face, and a long ponytail at the back, slightly darker and smoother in flow. His skin was also slightly darker, but the most prominent feature was the large dark circles under his eyes, making him very attractive to women despite not being more than 18 years old.

This was none other than the renowned Ichizokugoroshi no Itachi (Itachi Clan Killer), the teenager rumored to have slaughtered his entire clan at the age of 14 to prove his skills, leaving his younger brother as the sole survivor, with the sole purpose of having him hate Itachi enough to kill him in the future as atonement for his sins. However, this was known only to two people: Itachi himself and the one he considered his other brother in arms/rival. The real reason behind the massacre of his clan was something only he and the high command of Konoha knew, something he would either take to his grave or reveal to his brother when he was ready. Until then, he would carry the weight of his actions for the sake of the Leaf.

With the sound of the sea tides, he closed his eyes to enjoy the moment of tranquility, but he was interrupted when footsteps echoed behind him, disrupting the sound of the wind along with the creatures in the water, briefly revealing a shark's fin. When the footsteps stopped, the new individual who interrupted his peace glanced at him for a few seconds, analyzing his posture before revealing himself as a person with unique traits resembling a shark: pale blue skin, small white eyes, gill-like marks on the cheeks, and frizzy blue hair, tall and imposing.

Carrying an enormous sword, usually wrapped in bandages, called "Shark Skin," made of shark scales. Its function was not to cut but to tear whatever it touched (note that shark skin is so rough that it was once used as sandpaper). Additionally, it steals the chakra of its opponents and has a will of its own.

Kisame: I'm Kisame Hoshigaki, former of Kirigakure and a former member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. I'll be on your team from now on. Nice to meet you.

Observing his attire, Kisame noticed that Itachi was dressed similarly, indicating they were from the same organization, so he didn't have to be too concerned. However, he would remain cautious to avoid falling into any traps, even if they were from the same organization.

Kisame: And you must be Uchiha Itachi, ex-shinobi of Konoha. I've heard the rumors; you killed all the Uchihas. That's why I wanted to team up with you in Akatsuki.

Itachi: You talk too much...

Kisame: The sensation of killing a comrade is indescribable, isn't it, Itachi-san?

Itachi: You got lost in the mist and ended up here... You know a lot about me, but what do you know about yourself? You're just a thug who doesn't know where to go, am I wrong?

Irritated by his words, Kisame reached for Samehada on his back, drawing it smoothly and positioning it near Itachi's shoulder.

Kisame: Do you want to know something interesting? Some sharks are ovoviviparous, meaning the eggs stay inside the mother's body until they hatch. However, in some types of sharks, the number of eggs doesn't match the number of births. Do you know why? Cannibalism starts from the moment they're born. Fratricide begins. Please be careful with me.

Itachi: That goes for you too, although I suppose it's too late now...

Before Kisame could respond verbally or with a movement, he was paralyzed instantly by something unknown that his instincts detected behind him, screaming at him to move. But before he could think about how to escape, a hand reached for his head, causing his eyes to roll back and rendering him unconscious while standing. Meanwhile, Itachi rose from his place, looking over at Kisame, who stood with his head bowed, still unconscious while the hand on his head slowly withdrew before the assailant emerged behind Kisame, revealing first the most notable feature: long loose golden hair, with a shine that made it stand out, divided in the middle and falling on both sides of the face.

Just by seeing that remarkable hair, Itachi immediately knew who it was before the face, which greeted him with a large smile, characteristic of when they saw each other on missions or when they went somewhere to relax after completing a mission. It was none other than Naruto Uzumaki, known as the Uragiri No Ninja (Ninja of Betrayal), the closest candidate to becoming the next Hokage if the current one retired.

Itachi: Naruto...

Naruto: Heh! Is this how you greet your former teammate after not seeing each other in like four years? What a disappointing welcome. And here I thought you'd jump into my arms with joy at seeing your old friend.

Looking expressionlessly at the nonsensical things his former teammate and sole survivor of the night said, Itachi only let out a slight sigh, seeing how one of the only people he trusted apart from his now-deceased friend Shisui acted as he did in his childhood to tease him for being so emotionless.

Itachi: Naruto, tell me why you're here.

Naruto: Hmn... As expressionless as ever. I just wanted to know if you were still alive. I heard you joined some organization, and it seems it's true. Tell me, why did you join a criminal organization like Akatsuki?

Itachi: I see you're well-informed about this.

Naruto: I've known since that night when that strange guy tried to recruit me. But tell me, what's your reason for joining? Protection doesn't seem likely with your skills, so it must be for another reason.

Itachi: As perceptive as ever, but yes, I'm in it for another reason.

Naruto: I see. You don't need to tell me.

Itachi: I understand, but tell me, how did you use two different techniques from the Yamanaka and Nara clans to leave my partner like this?

Naruto: Clans? Those two are considered clans? That's an insult to the real clans. They merely have a few interesting techniques, but nothing special. Anyone with the necessary intelligence could perform their techniques. Shadow Possession is just a matter of manipulation, and Paralysis isn't even theirs; it's mine. But the idiots can't think beyond what's established. You, more than anyone, should understand that.

Itachi: I do, but I suppose that doesn't matter right now. Anything else you're here for?

Naruto: Maybe yes, maybe no. You know you never know what will happen. But now that I've teased you enough, I'll leave you to your organization matters.

Turning away from Itachi's gaze, Naruto began to walk aimlessly, but halfway there, he was stopped by the words of his friend.

Itachi: Tell me, have you thought about your brothers?

Pausing silently for a few seconds, not responding to the question until he glanced at Itachi over his shoulder, his eyes highlighting the change from blue-green to emerald green over time.

Naruto: Itachi, if there's one thing I can say with certainty, it's that you're the only one I can consider a brother from that village. To my eyes, everyone else there is worthless...

Finishing his words, he looked ahead again, resuming his path before Itachi's eyes, who remained silent in the face of his response, wanting to say more to his friend, but he disappeared before his eyes, not something that surprised him since he was one of the few people who knew the stranger abilities of his former teammate.

He glanced at Kisame, who seemed to be recovering from the paralysis his friend left him in, blinking to look directly at him, although he didn't say anything, simply passing him by and gesturing for him to follow. Kisame quickly positioned himself by his side to accompany him to their next destination.

-With Naruto-

He didn't know what was happening now, as he was suddenly standing in front of his friend, and now his vision was being obscured by a hand gripping his face, lifting him off the ground at high speed. Reacting after a few seconds, he grabbed the arm of the person dragging him, only to be thrown with such force that he flew about five hundred meters, crashing into several trees and having to draw his priority weapon to stop his blows, having to apply force to stop, leaving a trail.

He heard the person responsible for taking him there crashing to the ground, raising a dust cloud that soon cleared when the person drew a sword, revealing a figure wearing a pitch-black armor, looking quite heavy at first glance.

Getting up from his kneeling position, he went on the defensive, raising his sword, tensing his muscles to be ready in case a battle began.

?: Finally found you, Mordred...

Naruto: Great, another crazy person calling me Mordred. Look, I don't know who the hell you are, but my name isn't Mordred, it's Naruto.

?: ...

Seeing that the stranger before him did not say anything it was clear that a battle against the stranger was inevitable so letting out a sigh he called with a spell taught by his trainer Vivian a thick armor that covered his entire body having red details being lines, smiling at the The stranger, with a challenging sneer in his sights, made his helmet completely wrap around his head, covering his entire face except his eyes to be attentive to any surprising movement.

And end of the chapter